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How an UNDEF-funded, award-winning local newspaper empowers rural women in India

Jul 17, 2014

UNDEF-funded Khabar Lahariya is an award-winning rural weekly newspaper published in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in local languages and run by collective of 40 rural women journalists. In May 2014, it won Deutsche Welle's Global Media Forum Award. "The newspaper is a shining example that a functioning democracy is dependent on access to information for all people", said the jury. Deutsche Welle'swebsite" added: "Khabar Lahariya is the perfect example for interaction between society and the media. The newspaper helps local populations access their rights and resources by reporting about these issues and by selecting its reporters from among the locals. This way it also plays the role of a watchdog. Towards this end, Khabar Lahariya helps rural women develop skills so they can be agents of information production and dissemination." The Deutsche Welle blog and Rising Voices have both covered the project extensively.